Is racial profiling defensible public policy

Assessment 2 Instructions:

Controversial Topic Position
Paper
Write a 3–5–page paper in which you build arguments, counterarguments, and
rebuttals, which will serve as practice for applying critical thinking skills.
Introduction
Not surprisingly, there are multiple perspectives to consider when studying
issues related to culture, ethnicity, and diversity. These perspectives are shaped
by upbringing, values, belief systems, and many other variables. This
assessment is an opportunity to explore both sides of a current controversial
issue and apply psychological theory and research to endorse a position. While
opinions are always informed by one’s background and experiences,
understanding and analyzing different viewpoints is essential for enhancing
cultural competency. One way to accomplish this is by considering psychological
frameworks and reviewing empirical evidence to better understand complex
areas of diversity and inclusion.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your
proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
• Competency 1: Describe the effects of culture, ethnicity, and diversity on the human
experience.
o Describe a controversial topic and key current issues related to the topic.
• Competency 2: Apply psychological theories to issues affecting culture, ethnicity,
and diversity.
o Identify counterarguments to own position, using psychological theories or research
in culture, ethnicity, and diversity to support the counterarguments.
• Competency 3: Analyze psychological research findings related to culture, ethnicity,
and diversity.
o Identify rebuttals to counterarguments using psychological theories or research in
culture, ethnicity, and diversity to support the rebuttals.

o Assess the strength of the original position using psychological theories or research
in culture, ethnicity, and diversity to support own views.
• Competency 4: Apply psychological theory and research in culture, ethnicity, and
diversity to inform personal and professional behavior.
o Describe own personal or professional position on a topic supported by
psychological theories or research in culture, ethnicity, and diversity.
• Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and
consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology.
o Cite scholarly evidence correctly according to APA guidelines.
o Write in a manner that is scholarly, clear, and free of grammatical, spelling, and APA
formatting errors.
Preparation
For this assessment, you will choose one of the four following controversial
topics from your Taking Sides text and write a position paper of 3–5 content pages
(plus title and references pages) that answers the question posed by the title.
• D’Angelo, R., & Douglas, H. (2017). Taking sides: Clashing views in race and
ethnicity (11th ed.). McGraw–Hill. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource
Bookshelf link.
o Do we need a common identity? (pages 19–37).
o Is racial profiling defensible public policy? (pages 117–126).
o Is the mass incarceration of Blacks and Latinos the new Jim Crow? (pages 222–235).
o Is gentrification another form of segregation? (pages 236–246).
To further prepare you can choose to:
• Review Issues Summary [DOCX] to help you select your topic.
• Review Riverbend City: Arguments, Counterarguments, and Rebuttals. Your
answers in the media piece will help you with this assessment.
• Review the media piece about how to define what constitutes Reliable Evidence.
Instructions
Using the Capella library and other appropriate sources, explore scholarly
research on both sides of your selected issue.
Develop your position on the question using the corresponding Taking
Sides essay as a foundation.
Organize your paper as follows:
• Title page.
• Introduction.

• Your position and arguments.
• Evidence to support your arguments (i.e., data and research), including how the
evidence supports the arguments.
• Counterarguments to your position.
• Rebuttals to those counterarguments.
• Evidence to support your rebuttals (i.e., data and research), including how the
evidence supports the rebuttals.
• Summary and Conclusion.
• References.
This APA Style Paper Template [DOCX] is provided for your convenience.
Additional Requirements
• Remember that the content of your paper must be 3–5 pages in length.
• In addition to the essay, use a minimum of 5 resources, at least 2 of which are peer–
reviewed academic articles.
• Follow APA style and formatting guidelines throughout.
• Set your paper in Times New Roman, 12 point.
• Review the scoring guide before submitting your assessment to ensure that you
meet all criteria. Refer to the helpful links in Resources as you complete your
assessment.
Consider saving this assessment to your ePortfolio.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your
proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
• Competency 1: Describe the effects of culture, ethnicity, and diversity on the human
experience.
o Describe a controversial topic and key current issues related to the topic.
• Competency 2: Apply psychological theories to issues affecting culture, ethnicity,
and diversity.
o Identify counterarguments to own position, using psychological theories or research
in culture, ethnicity, and diversity to support the counterarguments.
• Competency 3: Analyze psychological research findings related to culture, ethnicity,
and diversity.
o Identify rebuttals to counterarguments using psychological theories or research in
culture, ethnicity, and diversity to support the rebuttals.
o Assess the strength of the original position using psychological theories or research
in culture, ethnicity, and diversity to support own views.

• Competency 4: Apply psychological theory and research in culture, ethnicity, and
diversity to inform personal and professional behavior.
o Describe own personal or professional position on a topic supported by
psychological theories or research in culture, ethnicity, and diversity.
• Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and
consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology.
o Cite scholarly evidence correctly according to APA guidelines.
o Write in a manner that is scholarly, clear, and free of grammatical, spelling, and APA
formatting errors.